


All the World's a Stage

by randomaquarius



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Theatre, F/F, F/M, Implied Smut, M/M, i might add more characters, the cast list took forever to come up with
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-01-14 13:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18477361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomaquarius/pseuds/randomaquarius
Summary: When a nearby theater holds auditions for a production of Singin’ in the Rain, lots of people show up to audition.  What ensues is stunts, shenanigans, and even love.





	1. Auditions are the Hardest Part

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea when I was sitting in the wings of the stage at rehearsal (for Singin’ in the Rain, nonetheless) and I was like I have to write this. I am Lina Lamont in our production, btw. Our final performance was today and I’m equal parts sad and happy because I loved being a part of it but I’m never going to be in a theatre production with some of my friends ever again.

Brianna Heller stood in front of a green painted door with a large glass window in it.  The window was covered from the inside with a light grey curtain. A piece of paper was taped to the door.

_ Singin’ in the Rain auditions TODAY! _

She took a deep breath and turned the handle that had once been shiny and gold colored but was now dented and faded after years of use.  She continued down a grey carpeted hallway to another door, this one painted a faded maroon. Outside the door there was an old folding table with a person sitting behind it.

The person wore little makeup on their tanned face.  It seemed as though most of their attention went into their hair.  Their hair was a light blonde color, and it had been curled and pinned back on one side.

“Hi!” the person said in a cheerful Aussie accent.  “Are you here to audition?”

Brianna nodded.

“Alright, then.  I’m Courtney, and I’m one of the music directors for the show.”  Courtney pushed a clipboard with a pen attached to it on a string towards Brianna.  “Just write your name under the character you’d like to audition for and head into that room.”

Brianna scanned the paper with her brown eyes.  She found the name ‘Kathy Selden’ typed at the top of one of the pieces of paper attached to the clipboard and signed her name under it.  There were already a lot of names above hers. She knew that competition would be stiff for a lead role, but she hadn’t known that this many people would audition.  She pushed the clipboard back towards Courtney.

“Break a leg!” Courtney said with a smile as Brianna opened the door to enter the warmup room.

She shut the door behind her and turned to look at everyone else in the room.  The room had chairs positioned against the walls, but the center of the room had been left open to act as an area for the people auditioning to practice their dancing.  One of the walls was completely lined with mirrors. Brianna looked around for somewhere to sit, dodging a tall woman with short, platinum blonde hair who was wearing pointe shoes.  She sat next to a girl with turquoise hair that rested in two messy braids on her leather clad chest. She looked like a rather edgy person, and Brianna was honestly surprised that she was at auditions.

“Hello,” she said, sitting next to the woman.  “I’m Brianna.”

“Hey.” the girl said.  “I’m Adore.”

“Nice to meet you.”  Brianna looked around the room awkwardly for a moment, examining her long blonde hair in the mirrors.

“So who are you auditioning for?” Adore asked.

“Kathy Selden.”

“Wow.  Lead role.”

“Yeah.  What about you?”

Adore sighed.  “I just signed up for the ensemble.  I’ve never really done theatre.”

Brianna nodded.  “Do you dance?”

“I can.”

“Can you sing?”

“I mean, I guess.  I write music.”

Brianna perked up at this.  “Oh? That’s cool!”

Adore nodded as if it was nothing.  She went back to staring at her phone.

Brianna looked around the room at the other people in the small room.  Besides her and Adore, there were maybe fourteen other people. Several people were dancing in the open area in the middle of the room, including the tall blonde woman that had almost hit her on her way in.  She watched the woman for a while, admiring the grace with which she danced. Her eyes fell on a Latina woman wearing a sand colored strapless jumpsuit. Her butterscotch waves cascaded over her shoulders, and her striking light brown eyes were framed by long fake lashes.  She was singing “Good Morning”, if one could call it singing. Hearing it reminded Brianna of her own audition piece. She pulled the sheet music for “All I Do” out of her bag.

As she read over the music, the door opened to let someone in.  That someone happened to be a young man; he couldn’t have been older than early twenties.  He happened to be rather attractive. He had jet black hair and dark brown eyes that stood out against his extremely pale skin.  He was slightly muscular. Brianna’s eyes followed him as he sat down in a seat and pulled out his own music.

The door opened once more, and Courtney stepped into the room with the clipboard in hand.  “Hello, everyone!” she said cheerily. “Welcome to auditions for Singin’ in the Rain!”

Several people in the room clapped.

“Thank you.” Courtney continued.  “As you all know, I’m Courtney, and I’m one of the music directors for the show.  It is officially 12:30 now, so we’re going to go ahead and begin auditioning people.  We’re going to start with, ummm...we’re going to start with whatever page I pick first.  Let’s see...Don Lockwood! We’re going to start with auditions for Don Lockwood. First up, Jay Jackson!”

A lanky man with styled blond hair stood up and followed Courtney out the door.  As the door closed, general pandemonium ensued.

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” Adore said blankly.  That pretty much summed up how Brianna felt.

She stared at the music, reading the notes and the words underneath them, but her nerves got the best of her and she threw the papers down on her lap with a huff.  She propped her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands, tapping her toe at a rapid pace. Looking around the room again, her eyes once more settled on the man that had just walked in.  He was leaning casually against the arm of the chair, audition music in his hands, observing the activity in the room. For a moment, his dark eyes met Brianna’s. They stared at each other, eyes locked, until the door of the room opened and the man named Jay came back in.  He was trailed by the ever present Courtney.

“Alright.  Next up we have...oh lord, you might have to help me with this one...Giovanni Palandrani!”  The man, Giovanni, looked away from Brianna. “Did I get the name right?” Courtney asked expectantly.  Giovanni nodded. “Great! Well, come on then.” Before Giovanni left the room, he turned and briefly flashed a smile at Brianna.  Bri felt her heart flutter.

“Okay, girl, I see you.” Adore said, amused.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on, I see you two with those fuckin’ heart eyes!”

“Pssh, we don’t even know each other.”

“That never stopped anyone.”

Brianna crossed her arms.  She decided to give the music another try.  She already had it memorized, but it was something to do.  After several minutes, Giovanni came back in to the room and Courtney called in a new person.  After Giovanni had gathered his things, he left. Names continued to be called, and then Courtney started calling auditions for the role of Kathy Selden.  

“Valentina Leyva!”  The Latina who Brianna had been observing earlier stood up and followed Courtney out the door.  Valentina. So that was her name. Many other names were called until it was finally Brianna’s turn.

“Next up, Brianna Heller!”

“Good lu-, er, break a leg!” Adore whispered.

“Thanks!” Brianna whispered back.

Courtney smiled, holding the door for her.  She led her down the hallway to a door with a frosted glass window.  “Break a leg!” she said, opening the door. 

Brianna took a deep breath as she stepped into the grey carpeted room, the door closing behind her with a slam.  She turned to face the table of judges. Three people were seated at the table; two women and a man. The woman seated closest to the door had hair that could only be described as massive.  Long blonde waves were positioned in every direction, hairsprayed to the gods. The woman in the middle looked extremely intimidating. Her jet black hair was pulled tightly into a sleek updo, the color perfectly matching her blazer.  She stared at Brianna with one black eyebrow arched, red lips pressed tightly together. The man on the end had clear, coffee colored skin. He wore a loud, brightly patterned suit.

“We don’t have all day.” the woman in the middle said.  “I’m Michelle, this is Alyssa, and this is RuPaul.”

Alyssa and RuPaul waved politely.  “I am one of the music directors, Alyssa is the choreographer, and Ru is the director.  Now, you will begin with the musical number that you have prepared, and then Alyssa will teach you 16 counts of choreography.  We will judge based on your performance in these areas. You may begin whenever you are ready.” Michelle set her papers down and steepled her fingers, waiting for Brianna to begin.

Brianna nodded and took a deep breath, preparing to sing.  And sing she did. She got through the whole song and stared at the judges expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction.  Nothing.

Alyssa stood up and went over to Brianna to teach her the dance.  “Alright, so we’re going to do some of the choreography from All I Do.  I’ll demonstrate it for you and then we’ll work on it for five minutes.”

Michelle started the music, and Brianna watched as Alyssa danced.  The dance didn’t seem too hard, and it was only 16 counts. Alyssa taught her the dance, and the timer went off before she knew it.

“Are you ready?” Michelle asked.  Brianna knew that that wasn’t a question.  She nodded anyway. Michelle started the music.  Brianna executed the steps with only a few minor slip-ups.  “Thank you. That will be all.” Michelle said, writing something on the papers in front of her.

Brianna smiled and gave a little bow before exiting the room.  Courtney was waiting outside the door, clipboard still in hand.

“That’s it!  How do you think you did?” Courtney asked excitedly.

“Um, okay, I guess.”

Courtney rolled her eyes.  “That’s what everyone has said!  Well, everyone except Miss Leyva.  Gah! I’m not supposed to talk about the other actors!  Anyway, you can get your stuff now, and results should be posted here at about noon tomorrow.  We’re not having callbacks this time.”

Brianna nodded again, retrieving her things from the warmup room.

“Break a leg!” she told Adore.

“Thanks!”

Brianna pushed open the door that she had come in and walked out into the warm spring air and the hustle and bustle of the city.  As she started walking in the direction of her Harlem apartment, she smiled to herself.  It really had gone well.


	2. The Moment We've All Been Waiting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I present to you: the audition results!!

Even though it had only been 24 hours, Brianna felt like she had been waiting years for this moment.

She stood in front of the mirror, pulling her hair up into a chic ponytail.  She smiled at her reflection before turning off the lights and leaving the apartment.

The walk seemed to be taking ages in the cool windy air, but she finally made it to that old green door.  She opened it and stepped inside, taking off her jacket and folding it over her arm. The sound of many people talking at once from around the corner let Brianna know that the results were probably over there.  She continued down the hallway until everyone else came into view. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to quicken their pace with every step she took. She stopped for a moment to watch the woman named Valentina arguing with Courtney.

“Why aren’t I Kathy?”

“Because the judges just thought that someone else was better suited for the role.  What’s wrong with Lina Lamont?”

“Everything!  She’s a brat!”

“Well then.  I’m sure you’ll fit the role very well.”

Brianna had to look away to stop herself from laughing.

Valentina pushed past her in a huff.

Adore caught Brianna’s attention.  She waved her over.

“Have you seen the results yet?” Brianna asked nervously as she walked up to Adore.

“Nope.”

The two made their way through the small crowd to the piece of printer paper taped to the door.  Brianna read over it anxiously.

_Don Lockwood: Giovanni Palandrani_

_Cosmo Brown: Shane Galligan_

_Lina Lamont: Valentina Leyva_

_Kathy Selden: Brianna Heller_

_Zelda Zanders: Cynthia Lee Fontaine_

_Dora Bailey: Alaska Honard_

_Roscoe Dexter: José Cancel_

_R.F. Simpson: Patrick Holt_

_Miss Dinsmore: Max Malanaphy_

_Ensemble: Jay Jackson , Shangela Wadley, Brook Hytes, Brian McCook , Adore Delano, Kennedy Davenport, Jovan Bridges , Dane Young_

Holy shit.  She read it again just to make sure her eyes weren’t failing her.

_Kathy Selden: Brianna Heller_

“You got the part!” Adore said excitedly.

Brianna stood there with her mouth hanging open like a fish.

“Congrats, bitch!”

“Th-thanks.”

Courtney came around passing out rehearsal schedules for that month.  As Brianna and Adore read through them, Giovanni came over and tapped Brianna on the shoulder.

“Hey.” he said.

“Hi.”

“Congratulations on your role.”

“Thanks.  You too.”

“Thanks.”

There was a silence.  Giovanni was the one to break it.

“Uh, I was thinking, since we’re playing the two lead roles, we need chemistry.  Would you want to grab coffee sometime?”

“Um, sure.  That sounds great.”

Giovanni smiled, and Brianna smiled back.

“Great.  How about tomorrow at 2?”

“Sure.”

“See you then.”

“See you.”

Giovanni walked away and Brianna watched him go.  Adore wiggled her eyebrows.

“ **There is nothing between us.  There has never been anything between us.  Just air.*** ” Brianna said.

“Mhm.” Adore said skeptically.  “ **That’s what you think.**** ”

“It’s not like it’s a date or anything.” Brianna protested.

“Bitch, it’s totally a date.”

_The next day at 2_

Brianna and Giovanni sat across from each other under a red umbrella in the warm spring air.

“So Giovanni-”

“Just call me Gio.”

“Gio,” Brianna corrected herself.  “Should we get to know each other?” she said, stirring her coffee.  

“Oh, right.  What made you want to audition?” Gio asked.

Brianna thought for a bit.  “Well, I’ve always liked performing and singing and stuff like that, and I figured why not.  Have you ever done musical theatre before?”

“Yeah, actually.”  Gio took a sip of his coffee.  “I was in a production of _The Nutcracker_ a couple years ago.”

Brianna nodded thoughtfully.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Meh, here and there.  Nothing like this.”

“Have you always lived in New York?”

“Hell no.  I grew up in Seattle.”

Gio chuckled.

 _Oh, lord.  Stay calm, Brianna._  Brianna thought, her heart fluttering.

“So,” said Gio.  “What brought you here?”

Brianna adjusted her position in her chair.

“The promise, really.”

Gio nodded.  “Same here.”

“So,” Brianna said.  “What part of rehearsals are you most excited about?”

“Dress rehearsals.” he said without missing a beat.

“Really?  Those are the most stressful part!”

“Yeah, but they’re the first time you get to see the whole show put together with costumes, music, lights, tech, sets!  It’s amazing!”

“That’s true.” she admitted with a sigh.

Giovanni checked his phone and stood up, gesturing for Brianna to do the same.  “It’s almost time for the first rehearsal. We’d better go.”

“You’re right.  It is.” she said, checking her watch.

They walked together through the streets of New York to the theatre, fingertips occasionally brushing together.  

“Here we are!” Gio said, holding the door for Brianna.

“Thanks.”

The two stepped inside and walked down to the carpeted hallway to the door labelled “STAGE”.

“Well, here goes nothing!” Brianna said as she walked onto the stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don Lockwood: Giovanni Palandrani (Aquaria)  
> Cosmo Brown: Shane Galligan (Thorgy Thor)  
> Lina Lamont: Valentina Leyva  
> Kathy Selden: Brianna Heller (Miz Cracker)  
> Zelda Zanders: Cynthia Lee Fontaine  
> Dora Bailey: Alaska Honard (Alaska Thunderfuck)  
> Roscoe Dexter: José Cancel (Miss Vanjie)  
> R.F. Simpson: Patrick Holt (Tempest Dujour)  
> Miss Dinsmore: Max Malanaphy  
> Ensemble: Jay Jackson (Laganja Estranja mawma okurrr), Shangela Wadley, Brook Hytes, Brian McCook (Katya), Adore Delano, Kennedy Davenport, Jovan Bridges (Yvie Oddly), Dane Young (Kameron Michaels)
> 
> Choreographer: Alyssa Edwards  
> Costume director: Bianca Del Rio  
> Music Director: Michelle Visage, Courtney Act  
> Director: RuPaul  
> Backstage crew: Jerick Hoffer (Jinkx Monsoon), Alexander (Sasha) Steinberg (Sasha Velour), Manila Luzon, Dela Creme  
> Makeup artists: Miss Fame, Nina Brown, Trixie Mattel
> 
> So I just chose the queens that I thought would be best suited for the roles. Sorry if I ruffle any feathers! I will keep this list in the end notes for reference.
> 
> *Said by Don Lockwood in scene 1  
> **Said by Lina Lamont in scene 7


	3. What did you expect?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first rehearsal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes I am not dead.

Brianna and Giovanni walked out onto the stage, where most of the cast was already seated in a circle of chairs.

“Welcome, welcome.” the man named RuPaul said.  He beckoned for them to sit down. “Since most of you are here already, we’ll go on and begin rehearsal.  Courtney, the scripts.”

Courtney stood and began passing out light blue books.  The sound of her pink heels clicking on the stage was amplified by the acoustics in the room.

“We’ll be doing a read-through of the lines today.  Without music.” Ru continued. “Shall we begin?”

The cast opened their books and began flipping through pages to get to the first scene.  Kathy Selden didn’t appear until scene two, and so she was able to listen more carefully to hear how the others spoke in character.  Everything went smoothly with a few mistakes here and there, until it was time for Miss Lina Lamont to break her silence.

“F’heaven’s sake, what’sa big idea?  Sing-”

“Hold it!” Michelle interjected, interrupting Valentina.  “Valentina, we need you to be more nasal and whiny sounding.  That’s Lina’s whole thing. Her voice is one of the highlights of the show.  Start that bit over.”

Valentina took a deep breath.  “F’heaven’s sake, what’sa big idea?  Singin’ a song at-”

“Wait!” Michelle interrupted.  “Valentina, Lina isn’t supposed to sound sweet and demure.  In this scene she is angry at Don and Cosmo. Try it again, angrier.”

Valentina huffed.  “F’heaven’s sake, what’sa big idea?  Singin’ a song at my openin’? And can’t a girl get-”

“Stop!” Michelle said, exasperated.  “Remember the whiny tone. Go.”

At this point, Valentina looked like she was going to murder someone any second.  “F’heaven’s sake, what’sa big idea? Singin’ a song at my openin’? And can’t a girl get a word in edgewise?  They’re my public too!”

“There we go.  Much better.”

Valentina sat back in her seat, fluffing her hair.  The scene continued, and they were able to read through scenes one, two, and three, as well as most of scene four.  Valentina didn’t seem pleased in the slightest when she learned that she would be taking a cake to the face in the third scene.

Michelle pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Valentina, have you ever seen the movie?”

“No,” Valentina responded honestly.

“Just a quick show of hands, how many of you have seen the movie?”

About half of the cast raised their hands, including Brianna and Giovanni.  Courtney raised her hand excitedly.

“Not you.” Michelle said, shooting a stern look Courtney’s way.  “The rest of you, the ones that didn’t put your hands up, are you telling me that you haven’t even seen the film version of the musical that you are a part of?”

Those who hadn’t raised their hands shook their heads reluctantly.

Michelle sighed and closed her eyes, taking her glasses off and setting them on her copy of the script.  “Change of plans,” she said. “Tomorrow we are going to be watching the movie instead of reading through the rest of the script.  We will continue with the script on Thursday. Rehearsal is over for today.”

Everyone stood up and made their way off of the stage.

“I need a strong coffee and a Xanax.” Michelle mumbled as the cast left the theater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don Lockwood: Giovanni Palandrani (Aquaria)  
> Cosmo Brown: Shane Galligan (Thorgy Thor)  
> Lina Lamont: Valentina Leyva  
> Kathy Selden: Brianna Heller (Miz Cracker)  
> Zelda Zanders: Cynthia Lee Fontaine  
> Dora Bailey: Alaska Honard (Alaska Thunderfuck)  
> Roscoe Dexter: José Cancel (Miss Vanjie)  
> R.F. Simpson: Patrick Holt (Tempest Dujour)  
> Miss Dinsmore: Max Malanaphy  
> Ensemble: Jay Jackson (Laganja Estranja mawma okurrr), Shangela Wadley, Brook Hytes, Brian McCook (Katya), Adore Delano, Kennedy Davenport, Jovan Bridges (Yvie Oddly), Dane Young (Kameron Michaels)
> 
> Choreographer: Alyssa Edwards  
> Costume director: Bianca Del Rio  
> Music Director: Michelle Visage, Courtney Act  
> Director: RuPaul  
> Backstage crew: Jerick Hoffer (Jinkx Monsoon), Alexander (Sasha) Steinberg (Sasha Velour), Manila Luzon, Dela Creme  
> Makeup artists: Miss Fame, Nina Brown, Trixie Mattel


	4. Party!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a couple weeks into rehearsal, and the cast is getting VERY comfortable with each other.

_ Several weeks later _

“Alright everybody, get your asses up onstage!  We were supposed to start ten minutes ago!” Michelle barked into her megaphone.  “We’re starting on scene five! Places!” She put the megaphone down and looked down at her script.

Cast members groaned and scrambled up onto the stage.  They’d been working on the same scene for almost a week, and everyone was getting sick of it.  Everyone, of course, except the ever-cheerful Courtney. “We’ll do the scene until you get it right.” Michelle had said whenever someone complained.  

Max and Valentina stood centerstage in front of the closed curtain.  Giovanni, Shane, and the ensemble stood behind the curtain. The rest of the cast milled around aimlessly in the wings.

“Alaska, phone, please.” Michelle said without looking up.

Alaska retreated from the wings and handed her phone over to Michelle.

“We’ve been over this, guys.  No phones on stage. The next time I catch someone on their phone we’re going until 10:00 p.m.”

Alaska rolled her eyes and walked back to the wings.

“From the top!”

***

**Adore created the group: Courtney’s Clipboard**

**Adore added: Gio Palandrani, Brianna Heller, Shane Galligan, Valentina Leyva, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Alaska Honard, José Cancel, Patrick Holt, Max Malanaphy, Jay Jackson, Shangela Wadley, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Brian McCook, Kennedy Davenport, Jovan Bridges, Dane Young**

**Adore to Courtney’s Clipboard, 5:14 p.m.:** hey guys, party at my place, 9:00 pm

**Jay to Courtney’s Clipboard, 5:14 p.m.:** see u there mawma

**Adore to Courtney’s Clipboard, 5:15 p.m.:** c u

**Cynthia to Courtney’s Clipboard, 5:16 p.m.:** I’ll bring snacks

**Brooke to Courtney’s Clipboard, 5:16 p.m.:** José, you should bring your famous cookies

**José changed the group name to: get these cookies, mama 🍪**

***

Brianna was one of the last ones to the party.  When she got there, Amy Winehouse’s  _ Rehab  _ was playing its final chords through a speaker that someone had brought.  When it was over, Rihanna’s  _ Pon De Replay  _ began playing.

“Bitch!” Adore wobbled over to her, already half drunk.  “Come dance!”

“Uh, okay!” she said nervously.  She tossed her coat onto a rapidly growing pile on a nearby chair.  When she turned around, Adore pushed a red Solo cup into her hand. She drank whatever was in the cup, shuddering as it burned her throat.  Adore pulled her into the center of a small crowd of people, where she danced awkwardly until the song was over. She made her way over to the side of the room, sliding down the wall and sitting next to the little table with the speaker.  

José came over to the speaker what could only be described as an evil grin spread across his face.  “Listen up, y’all!”

Everyone in the small apartment grew quiet and turned to look at him.

“Now, I was on the YouTubes the other day, and I done found some music from someone that we all know, and Miss Thing didn’t even mention it to us.”  He smirked as he tapped the screen of his phone. The music began to play. An unseen electric guitar played soft chords through the speaker, creating an aura of bliss.  A voice began to float through the room. A voice that unmistakably belonged to Adore.

_ “Don’t wanna be a part, of that scene I heard _ , _ of the curses with death.” _

Adore gave a stifled shriek, her entire face rapidly going pink.

_ “My life has fallen into temporary sin, cluster of roses and baby’s-breath.” _

The melody was haunting, in a way.  Drums pattered in the background like rain on a tin roof, providing a serene backdrop to the picture painted by the lyrics and guitar.

_ “I’ve been tryin’, and I’ve been buyin’, and I’ve been lyin’, and I’ve been cry-in’.”  _ Adore’s voice sang.   _ “And that’s how I kno-o-ow.” _

_ “All of the legends, I asked twenty-seven, they all went to heaven, all of the legends.  All of the legends, since I was eleven, all went to heaven, all of the legends. I’ve been tryin’, and I’ve been buyin’, and I’ve been lyin’, and I’ve been cryin’.  And that’s how I kno-o-ow. That I don’t wanna go home!” _

Before they knew it, the chorus was over, like a thunderclap in a rainstorm.  The song played all the way through without a peep from anyone in the room. When it was over, everyone turned to Adore.

“Bitch!” Gio said.  “That was so good!” He hugged her.

Adore accepted everyone’s compliments, still blushing profusely.  The song changed soon after to something by Lady Gaga.

Many songs and many drinks later, a small stampede occurred when someone (possibly Jovan) yelled: “Who wants to play ‘Spin the Bottle’?!”  Everyone helped push furniture out of the way to make room on the floor. The group sat on the floor in a circle around an empty beer bottle, save for a few people who were married or had boyfriends or girlfriends and didn’t want to face the wrath of their partners.

“Who’s goin’ first?” José asked.

“Well, bitch, I think your whole little thing with the music earns you a first turn!” Adore said jokingly.

“Aight.”  José spun the bottle rather forcefully, watching intensely to see who it would land on.  The tip of his tongue poked out of his mouth. The narrow neck of the bottle slowly spun to a stop, forming an arrow that pointed right to Brooke Lynn.  Brooke Lynn looked like she had been waiting for this moment for her entire life as she and José leaned forward to meet each other. They didn’t hesitate.  The small crowd cheered as they fully made out in the middle of Adore’s living room.

“Get a room!” Brian called before any clothes could come off.

The two sat back in their places on the floor.  Brooke’s lipstick was severely smudged and José’s hair was going every which way.  Both parties seemed happy.

“Who’s next?” Shangela asked.

“Brianna!” yelled several people.

“The people have spoken, boo.” she said, turning to Brianna.  “Your turn.”

Brianna reached forward and hesitated.  Which of her castmates would she ever even  _ consider _ kissing?   _ There is one, _ Said a little voice in her head.  She quickly shushed it, pushing that thought out of head.  She tried to ignore the pair of dark brown eyes that were no doubt looking at her.  She spun the bottle. The bottle wobbled round and round like a broken piece of playground equipment.  It stopped on the one person she’d hoped it wouldn’t. Even so, a little part of her wanted it.

“Oooooh!” Adore called.

The other person leaned forward to reach her.  Brianna laughed nervously as she leaned into the circle.  The small crowd kept cheering, but they sounded far away. Her whole body went numb.  All she could hear, feel, and see was him. She heard her heart beating rapidly, felt his breath warm on her lips, saw his dark hair and pale skin.  The group had struck up a chant. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” He closed his eyes. She did the same. Their lips barely brushed against each other before there was a loud banging on the door.

“Open up, you animals!” yelled a muffled, angry voice.

Gio and Brianna sprung apart, barely having touched each other in the first place.

“Shit,” Adore said under her breath.  She jumped up and threw open the door.

A rather disgruntled woman stood in the doorway with a fuzzy pink bathrobe and curlers in her hair.  “You lot could raise the dead! Do you know what time it is?!”

They could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet.

“Party’s over!  Get going!” the woman said.  She stormed off towards the staircase.

Everyone made their way over to the door, grabbing their coats and phones and thanking Adore on the way out.  The group trudged down the flights of stairs to the lobby, walking quietly out into the cold air. Several people called Ubers, while the people who lived closer started walking back home.

Brianna was one of the last ones to leave.  She passed Brooke Lynn and José in an alley, lips locked together as if they were each breathing through the other person.  She was just about to step off the street corner when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around. It was Gio. She blushed.  “Sorry about that, I-” She could barely get a word in before he pulled her into a kiss.

The entire city disappeared.  The lights of the skyscrapers went out.  The roaring of car engines faded. The cold air warmed.  There was nothing but the two of them, locked in an embrace, lips pressed against each other.  At that moment, Brianna understood whatever animal desire had overcome Brooke Lynn and José.  

Gio let go, and the sights and sounds of the city came rushing back into place around them.  “I wasn’t going to just let that slip away.” he said.

She could think of nothing to say.

“Meet me after rehearsal tomorrow.” Gio said, climbing into his Uber.

Brianna nodded, watching the smile spread across his face before he shut the door.  She began to walk slowly in the direction of her apartment. She touched her fingers to her lips as if trying to capture the kiss and keep it there.  She smiled to herself.  

***

**Adore to get these cookies, mama 🍪, 1:58 a.m.:** that was fun

**Brianna to get these cookies, mama 🍪, 1:59 a.m. :** Yeah, it was

**José changed the group name to: 27 Club**

**Adore to 27 Club, 1:59 a.m.:** bitch don’t you fuckin dare

**Brooke Lynn to 27 Club, 2:00 a.m.:** lol

**Jay to 27 Club, 2:00 a.m.:** lmao

**Kennedy to 27 Club, 2:00 a.m.:** Y’all better stop before some crazy old lady comes upstairs and yells at us again

**Adore to 27 Club, 2:01 a.m.:** haha see you guys tomorrow

**Brooke Lynn to 27 Club,  2:02 a.m.:** see you

**Adore changed the group name to: theatre bitchess**

**José changed the group name to: 27 Club**

**José to 27 Club, 2:07 a.m.:** nice try, bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I promise this fic isn't dead! My tumblr is @ao3randomaquarius come bother me
> 
> Also y'all should seriously listen to Adore's music if you haven't already.
> 
> Don Lockwood: Giovanni Palandrani (Aquaria)  
> Cosmo Brown: Shane Galligan (Thorgy Thor)  
> Lina Lamont: Valentina Leyva  
> Kathy Selden: Brianna Heller (Miz Cracker)  
> Zelda Zanders: Cynthia Lee Fontaine  
> Dora Bailey: Alaska Honard (Alaska Thunderfuck)  
> Roscoe Dexter: José Cancel (Miss Vanjie)  
> R.F. Simpson: Patrick Holt (Tempest Dujour)  
> Miss Dinsmore: Max Malanaphy  
> Ensemble: Jay Jackson (Laganja Estranja mawma okurrr), Shangela Wadley, Brook Hytes, Brian McCook (Katya), Adore Delano, Kennedy Davenport, Jovan Bridges (Yvie Oddly), Dane Young (Kameron Michaels)
> 
> Choreographer: Alyssa Edwards  
> Costume director: Bianca Del Rio  
> Music Director: Michelle Visage, Courtney Act  
> Director: RuPaul  
> Backstage crew: Jerick Hoffer (Jinkx Monsoon), Alexander (Sasha) Steinberg (Sasha Velour), Manila Luzon, Dela Creme  
> Makeup artists: Miss Fame, Nina Brown, Trixie Mattel


	5. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day after the party, and the day after Gio kissed her.

At rehearsal the next day, Brianna was distracted.  She couldn’t stop thinking about the night before. The energy, the alcohol, the game, the kiss, the man.  She replayed the moment over and over in her head, remembering the feeling of his lips on hers and his hands on her back.  She could feel his gaze on the back of her neck, making her hair stand on end. The wait for the rehearsal to be over was tantalizing.  Michelle kept them for a little longer than planned to give notes, and so Brianna all but sprinted over to Giovanni when rehearsal was over.  He had hung back behind the crowd to wait for her.

“Hey,” he said nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets.

“Hi.”

There was a small moment of silence between the two as the walked together down the carpeted hallway.

“So, uh, we’re going back to my place, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine.”

“Cool.  I called an Uber; it should be here soon.  Let’s go outside.”

“Okay.” she said, following him out the door.  The cold November air chilled her quickly. Gio noticed, and so he put an arm around her shoulders.  She smiled to herself.

When the car came, he gave her his hand and helped her inside.  His hand rested on the seat mere inches away from her thigh. She looked down at it, and her eyes flicked up to meet his as she scooted closer to him.  He was obviously thinking the same thing as her. She slowly brought her hand up to his cheek, and he smirked as she pulled him closer. They were about to finally close the small gap between them when the car stopped at Gio’s Brooklyn apartment complex, ripping them out of their trance-like state.

Gio led Brianna inside the lobby of the building and towards the elevator.  The doors started to close, and they once again grew closer. At the last second, a hand shot between the doors.  The doors opened back up, and a very short old lady hobbled in.

“Thank you for holding the elevator, dearies.” she said.

They looked at each other and then at the woman.  Bri shrugged. Gio’s fingers tapped anxiously on the handrail as the little red numbers over the door increased.  The little old lady hummed contentedly to herself. After what felt like an eternity, the doors opened with a soft  _ ding!   _ The couple walked down the hallway to Gio’s apartment.  He unlocked the door and held it open for Bri.

“So what’ve you got planned for this date, if that’s what this is?” she asked, grazing his fingers with hers.

“Oh, stuff.  Food and then…”

“Hey, guys.” a third voice said.

Gio rolled his eyes to the ceiling.  “Jordan, I thought you were going out.”

“I am.” Jordan said.  “But I want to meet this lovely lady first.”  He sauntered over to Brianna and kissed her hand.  “I’m Jordan, Gio’s roommate. And you are?”

“Brianna.” she said.  “From the theatre.”

“Oh.” he said.  A knowing smirk made its way onto his lips.  “So you’re Brianna?”

“Alright, you don’t want to keep your friends waiting, Jor.  Goodbye. See you later.” Gio said hurriedly as he pushed him towards the door, rapidly going pink.  He closed the door just as Jordan winked in Brianna’s direction.

“He’s-”

“Interesting.” Gio finished.

“Yeah.” Bri laughed.  “Hey, what about that food?”

“Oh yeah.  Follow me.”  He led her into the small kitchen of the apartment.  She leaned up against the counter as he pulled out his phone and looked something up.  He banged around in the cabinets for a while, pulling out a large pot and a saucepan. He filled the large pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.  She watched as he got a carton of eggs from the fridge and set some of them on the counter before putting the carton away. He paused for a second, and Brianna saw a chance.

“Screw the food.” she said.  She got to him right as he turned around and pressed his mouth to hers.  Her back pressed against the edge of the counter, and he lifted her up on top of it as she deepened the kiss.  

He broke away and started kissing her neck, making her moan slightly.  After a while, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her down on the sheets.

She unbuttoned her shirt as he slipped his over his head.  Her skirt came off quickly, and she kissed Gio while he worked on getting his jeans off.

He put his hands on Bri’s waist and pulled her on top of him.  She rocked her hips, making him groan. They removed the final layers separating them from each other and went to work.  She kissed him harder as they moved in unison, his hands getting tangled in her hair. Her nails scratched at his skin, leaving angry red marks.  His hands roamed her body, touching every inch of her skin. They both muttered incoherent words as their bodies came together.

Eventually, Bri’s body convulsed in a final wave of pleasure with Gio not far behind.  She collapsed on the bed beside him and laid her head on his still heaving chest. His forehead was thinly coated in a sheen of sweat.  She watched as his dark eyes focused and refocused on her. He reached over and stroked her hair, smiling as she pressed herself into his side.

“So,” she said.  “How about that food?”

He laughed.  “Coming right up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi it's been a while but y'all I'm currently in three theatre productions so I'm going to be stressed til winter. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this! My tumblr is @ao3randomaquarius come bother me


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